


Tea For Two

by Peridot_8J4I_2RX



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Monthly Elsannafest - October 2020, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:34:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27699041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peridot_8J4I_2RX/pseuds/Peridot_8J4I_2RX
Summary: Rumor has it that somewhere deep in the woods, there lives a witch. One night, a girl dares to seek her out.
Relationships: Anna/Elsa (Disney)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 23





	1. Full

The stark tips of trees almost blended in with the dark, moonlit sky. Beneath, dappled shadows danced over fallen leaves and the crisp night air could steal your breath away. An eerie stillness held sway over the entire forest with the deaths of the various noisome insects from the cold.

Leaves crunched and the stillness was broken by a cloaked figure who carried a lantern.

She walked unafraid on what she could see of the old path. Well, not unafraid but for the most part she wasn’t scared! No sirree. Not her. It was just a dark night in the middle of a forest in the middle of fall in the middle of a full moon. Why would anyone be scared of that?

A branch snapped and she almost jumped out of her skin. The only relief she had was the telltale hooting of an owl nearby. Nothing was there, and there was no horrible thing going to get her. She put a trembling hand on her chest to try and slow her rapid heart-rate.

She tried to reinforce her resolve and keep going, one trembling leg ahead of the other. According to the rumors she’d heard, this should be the way. So why did it feel like she was getting nowhere? 

She shivered and pulled her cloak tighter as if that would keep the cold out any better. Funny how cold it got by late October. Maybe it was like that one story. You had to die of cold in order to- geeze. She sure hoped that wasn’t the case. That would suck.

And so the girl walked, and walked, and walked. The forest never fought her. There were no cruel roots to trip her nor cragged hole her foot would fall and twist in. It didn’t help her either. Never were there small animal guides- as if she were a princess- and it certainly didn’t do any obvious pointing to the right direction. No, it was most like a silent bystander. It said naught but watched, always watching.

She figured that she must be on the right path when she entered a dimly lit clearing with a table in it and a nice big summoning-rock. Or well, she assumed it was a summoning rock because that seemed like something ritualistic. You used rocks to summon things on right? 

_‘On second thought,’_ she wrinkled her nose, _‘weren’t rocks like that used with dead animals? Ew.’_

Curiosity almost got the better of her, but she continued along the path when a freezing wind brushed its chilled fingers along her. Cold and annoyed, she continued. Those freezing winds just had no sense of personal space. Not only were they inconsiderate but they’re also just cold so now she was cold!

Finally, when it seemed like her fingers were going to fall off, she came upon a small cottage. The roof was lovingly sodded with all sorts of greenery hanging on and even a tree growing on it. A tree! The wooden walls had a single window curtained shut and there were a few comfortable chairs on the wooden porch. From within, she could see the glowing of what she assumed to be a fire. She also saw the fat puffs of smoke rising from the chimney.

It seemed strangely homely for a witch. 

Her chest once more betraying her, she dared knock. And oh, what a solid door to rap upon and hear the knocks greatly reverberated within! This was the moment where everything could happen. Now was not the time to mess up. She couldn’t afford to.

After a moment, the door pushed open. And she saw the ol- wait, what? Far from being old, the witch seemed youthful and pretty. Her hair was not, in fact, the white expected but rather a platinum blonde rare in adults. In fact, she seemed far too kind to be a witch living in the middle of the woods. 

“Oh, hello. What brings you here-” the witch glanced up at the sky, “so late?”

Having been put on the spot by the witch, the girl’s face turned bright red.

“Well I um wanted to meet you. Wow that sounded creepy I am so sorry. So, there are these rumors about a witch out here and she was supposed to appear on the full moon so I thought hey, what if I came out here and talked to her? Or, well, you.” She laughed sheepishly.

A soft hand landed on her shoulder and the witch smiled gently. “You know, I’m always here regardless of the phase of the moon. A werewolf, I am not. Though…” her voice dropped to a whisper, “the full moon is the most magical.”

Before she could stop herself, the girl blurted, “You don’t look anything like what I thought you would. I mean in the good way! A good different! You look… wow.”

Then the witch laughed- laughed! The laugh was a soft tinkle, and she was certain she would explode into a thousand fragments.

“Did you expect me to look like an old crone with a hunchback, weird wordplay, and standing over some cauldron chanting, ‘double, double, toil, and trouble’?” The witch said, and her eye glinted.

“I- kind of! Just a bit! And by a bit I mean a lot and oh no I just lied to a witch!”

The hand on her shoulder squeezed reassuringly.

“I won’t hex you if that’s what you’re scared of. Besides, all that? While Macbeth is a great play, it’s not what all witches are like. Funny how everyone thinks so anyways.”

“Oh I um, I didn’t know that.”

“Most don’t. It’s quite alright.”

They stood there in comfortable silence for a while. That was quite the revelation for one and the other found the first adorable with her reaction.

“Oh my goodness, I forgot to introduce myself, how could I forget to introduce myself- hi, I’m Anna!” 

“Hey Anna. I’m Elsa, the local witch.”

“Oh wow. Wow Elsa is such a pretty name. Hey can I ask you something?”

Elsa chuckled and said, “Sure, go ahead.”

“Can you brew anything? What’s your magic like? Wait is that too personal? That was too personal.” Anna talked at a dizzying speed, her excitement palpable.

“Well, I can brew tea. In fact, I know just the spell that goes right with tea. Would you like to come in? You’ll catch cold if you stay out there.” 

“Of course! Anything fo- if you say so! Magic is amazing.”

Once more, that tinkling laugh washed over Anna, who was guided inside. The inside, which was as cozy as the outside had a little stove over the fire. There also was a bed piled with blankets and a small wooden table with two chairs. While rough, it was obvious they were carved with loving care.

Elsa prepared and brewed the tea, oblivious to Anna watching her. Wow, she was just so elegant and refined- if this is what witches were like, Anna decided, then maybe they weren’t all too bad. She was so nice and gentle and oh dear, she was blushing really hard.

Finally Elsa came back with the tea, proffering it with a gentle smile. 

“Careful, it’s hot,” her perfect lips blew air into hers as if to cool it down.

Then, Elsa straightened her back and laid her arms on the table as if to do something official. Anna hurried to copy the pose because this was probably some magical pose. Important you know, to doing magic.

Taking a breath, Elsa said, “The tea spell has to do with your heartbeat. The higher it is, the better it will take effect, okay?”

“Wait, why? What does that have to do with tea? I mean I’m not questioning you. You’re the expert here, I just wanted to know.” Anna let out an awkward laugh.

“It unites our hearts as one. In other words, it means we can be good friends, if that’s what you’d like.”

Anna then finally saw the small smile on Elsa’s lips.

“Wow. So, how would we start the spell then?”

“Well...” Elsa took a deep breath and began.

“Hi, I’m Elsa. I’m a witch living in the woods and one of my hobbies is woodcarving.”


	2. Waxing Gibbous

The next time Anna visited, it was on a night as magical as the first. The yellow moon hung pale, its singular gaze on all those below. The stars beside it shone with distant fires that illuminated the dark forest. Soft snow blanketed the trees and the dripping icicles reflected back the lights of the night sky.

Well, technically not quite as magical. Tomorrow was supposed to be the full moon, which was the most magical. Elsa said so. But waiting for a whole entire month was just too much time to not go see her new friend. One day earlier couldn’t hurt, right?

With that in mind, Anna pulled on her cloak, picked up her lantern and set off. 

If the chill winds brushed all friendly before, then these ones nipped and bit. It felt like they were taking small chunks out of her wherever they touched. Barely five minutes into the forest and they decided that now was the appropriate time to come. How rude. Then again, polite winds didn’t bite you.

Between the winds and the frigid night air, the trip was miserable. They ate away at Anna wherever her cloak grew loose and the lantern unable to ward off every theft. They smelled like winter chill and punished the nose for its witness. Soft snow crunched and brittle leaves crisped beneath worn leather boots.

Really, were it not that she had intended a visitation to Elsa, she would have long turned back. This was the painful sort of killer cold they always warned you about. Little more could be done than clutch heat to one’s breast and cover it from the greedy cold.

_‘Friendships,’_ she reflected, _‘are like flowers. And Elsa is probably the stubborn type of flower.’_

It wasn’t a bad thing, being the stubborn sort. Everyone knew that some plants started with bigger roots or with bigger tops. And what’s wrong with that? If anything, it would make their friendship strong as opposed to giving only the mere appearance.

On the bright side, since this was her second trip, it ought to go quicker than the first.

That was a lie. She had managed to get herself lost, since the path often vanished under snow and she may have taken a wrong turn or seven. Still, she had to be close now. Anna puffed warm air that quickly chilled in a futile attempt to warm her stiffening fingers.

There! Could it be?

Anna could have laughed and sobbed in equal measure with relief. It was. She was on the right path now then, she remembered the way. Thank heavens for the summoning-rock. It was in no way far from Elsa’s home and by extension her fireplace. She let out a dreamy sigh at the thought of a fireplace. Curiously, the snow had been brushed off, as if someone had been using it. 

_‘Is it rude to ask your host if she uses animal sacrifices?’_

The question burned in her mind, and gave new energy to tired and numb limbs. Finally, she made it to that beautiful doorstep. Somehow, it managed to retain its gorgeous homely look despite being in the middle of winter. The snows blanketed the still-green roof and the tree which had not lost its leaves. Icicles dripped from the overhang and gave bright contrast to the earthy tones of the house.

She raised her hand to knock, rapping on the familiar wood. It seemed much less tense than last time, now that they knew each other and she felt half dead from cold.

Hardly had she even knocked the first time when Elsa opened the door. Anna squeaked and jumped back, knocking the air. 

“Oh god, I’m so sorry!” she blurted, before Elsa even had a chance to speak.

Elsa gave her a befuddled look and blinked, as if to try and dismiss the vivid Anna-like vision.

“Anna? What- what are you doing here?”

“Uh, visiting you?”

“In the middle of the night?”

Anna rubbed the back of her head and said, “Well, I came in the middle of the night last time.”

Elsa gave her a blank look. “You came here in the dead of night, while it’s freezing and trudged through piles of snow.”

“Yeah.”

“To visit me.”

“Mhm!”

“I-” Elsa pinched the bridge of her nose. “I’m flattered, really, but please don’t risk your life for me.”

Anna huffed, and then shivered some. “I’d say our friendship was worth it.”

“Frie-? Oh!” Elsa’s eyes flickered to Anna’s hands, which had decided to turn a purpled shade of red. She then promptly ushered Anna in.

“Come on, I’m not letting you stand out there in the cold.”

It was curious how Elsa’s skin didn’t seem to have goose-pimples despite the fact the chill air lingering at the doorstep. What was less curious and more of a relief was the toasty warmth of the cottage. 

The fire flickered under the stove, casting long shadows where its warm fingers could not reach. Wandering embers floated about, before deciding to extinguish themselves. On the table lay a worn book, dog-eared and beloved. It had been left open, with a thin wooden bookmark that held place.

Elsa ushered Anna past the chairs and onto a rug in front of the fireplace. There was no sign of what animal had been made into said rug, but wow, was it comfortable. It was soft, but not the creepy sort of soft that made you wonder if it was human hair or why it felt so bizarre. Instead it felt more like a soft grass that had fur instead of blades. And goodness, if it wasn’t warm.

This sensation was compounded by cool hands draping a blanket over her shoulders. Anna could not help but shiver, hair stood on end where the hands brushed her neck. If the freezing wind were a coarse scrape, then this was a caress. 

Only now, with a source of warmth and layers did Anna begin to warm up. It sucked somewhat, seeing as numbness does not take well to being made sensation. While she sat, Elsa stood and did something- she couldn’t see, Elsa blocked her vision- in front of the fire. 

They stayed like that a while, and lounged in comfortable silence.

“Hey Elsa? I meant it. Really, really meant it.”

Elsa cocked her head but did not turn. “Meant what?”  
“Well, that I wanted to be friends. I know you’re probably mad because it’s the middle of the night and some almost stranger barged in, but I just wanted you to know that I really do wanna be friends.” Anna said, and leant forward in earnest.

This time, Elsa did turn. She shook her head and had a faint smile. “Anna, why on earth would I be mad at you? Concerned, yes, but whyever mad?”

“Well, because I just walked into your house. Cause, y’know.” 

“I let you into my house. The fact that it's night is irrelevant, considering that I was awake still.” 

“Yeah but-”

“Please, stop. You don’t need to rationalize why I should be mad at you, okay?”

“I- I- okay. Okay.” Anna tried to argue but the words failed on her lips.

With a nod of approval, Elsa then walked over, carrying two cups. She sat, folded her legs in perfect courtesy, and handed Anna one. The hot cup was a relief against her still-cold hands, and the steam wafted herbal scents that soothed an irritated nose.

“Now then.”

Elsa moved her legs under her to properly kneel and stared Anna in the face. Which was rather intense and the sort of face that could elicit an eep. 

“Eep!”

“I want you to hold out your hand, okay?”

“Okay?” Anna said, confused but did it anyway. 

Without wavering, Elsa took Anna’s hand between hers. Cool hands with long, slender fingers sandwiched her own. It was strange because Elsa seemed to be deep in concentration. Wasn’t hand warming supposed to be simple? Either way, it felt like her hands were way warmer already- so were her cheeks.

“What are you doing?”

“A little bit of magic.”

“Wait what? How?”

Elsa smiled- was that a smirk?- and said, “I _am_ a witch you know.”

Indeed, somehow her skin had become even colder. Stranger still was that she showed no sign of discomfort, nor did their temperatures seem to even out, as most warming tended to go. When she did the same for the other hand, Elsa seemed to almost be burning cold to the touch. And yet it wasn’t the warmth-stealing sort of cold, more like a vessel of cold.

“That’s amazing.” Anna breathed.

“That’s magical.” Elsa corrected.

“Can all witches do that?”

“I… I’m not too sure, if I’m being honest.”

“Wait why not?” 

Elsa smiled a wan smile, and looked at Anna with sad eyes. “Well, because I’m the only witch I know.”

Anna gasped. “So that makes you extra awesome! You can do magic, and that’s super cool.”

“It’s,” Elsa paused for a second, “Yeah. Yeah I guess it is.”

Elsa looked away, distracted. Her hair seemed almost ethereal with the glow from the fire, and it was hard to look away from. She almost looked like an angel, backlit by a halo and light. The air seemed different now, casual even. Now was the time for regular conversation, and Anna had the perfect opener.

“Do you use animal sacrifices on your summoning-rock?”

Elsa blinked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapters are things? Apparently.

**Author's Note:**

> Taken and edited from my Monthly Elsannafest October 2020 contest entry.


End file.
